THE IMPORTS OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8693, 9 October 1891, Page 6

THE IMPORTS OF NEW ZEALAND.

(From the New Zealand Trade Review, October S.)

Thekb have been many complaints of late years that in spite of the development and expansion of the colony's exports, there is no corresponding increase in our imports. In the year ISSO the declared value of the imports was £0,162,011, and, in fact, under the stimulus of the public works and borrowing policy, the totals for other years, both before and after that date, have been considerably above that amount; yet for the year 1890 the value of our imports was but slightly in excess of that for ISSO, the total being only £6,260,525. If we eliminate specie from the comparison, the imports of IS9O even sank below those of 1880, as the value of coin imported in the two years was £331,630 in 1890, against £164, in ISSO, leaving the value of general merchandise as £5,997,162 for 1880, and £5,925,595 for 1390. " From this it has not unnaturally been inferred that in spite of the increase of our population during the decade, the spending power of the community has been stagnant ; indeed, that in view of the increased numbers the individual power has suffered diminution.

It has occurred to us, therefore, to look a little below the surfaco, with the view of seeing how far the details of quantities and classes of goods, etc., corroborate or otherwise the impression given by the comparison of total values. As a result we have found ample evidence, from our statistics, that in the large majority of the articles of importation we are paying considerably lower prices than we were in 1880, so that for the same money we are receiving much larger quantities of the commodities imported. There are, it is true, a few instances of an opposite movement, but the amounts are not important. Other factors have operated in minor degree to diminish the volume of imports, without indicating any decrease of purchasing power, such as the increased use of local productions, in lieu of imported goods, the reduced importation of railway plant, etc. We have taken out from the official returns of imports for the two years all the items of any importance of which , the measure in weight, number, etc., is given. In a very large number of cases no measure of quantity is given, as for instance in all the class of ",soft goods," which are entered only as so many cases. » We give the result. of our investigation in the subjoined table: —

From the above it is evident that whereas from the values alone it would appear that there was in 1890 a falli ng-olf in the goods enumerated of about 'JO per cent., there was in reality, as' regard? quantities, an increase to nearly'that extent, and that fully £1,000,000 was saved to the community by the cheapening of production, transport, etc. In looking down the list, it will be seen that in a few lines, such, for instaubo, as boots and shoes and pianos, there may from the class of goods have been a lowering of the quality, yet in the large majority of lines this is not the case. In bagging, beer, candles, cement, coal, for instance, there is no doubt that ..wo are importing about the same quality as formerly. And so ofthe bulk of the items.

The above table only covers, as regards 1890, about one-third of tho total imports, and it is not easy to say with certainty as to the rest how far they follow tho same rule. The class included in the term "soft goods," represents approximately another third of the whole value, and in these when we consider the constant improvements that are going on from year to year, in machinery and in processes, and the constant efforts of competition to cheapen manufactures and reduce expenses, there is no reason to doubt that fully equal reductions have taken place in that lino. If this be true of the whole range of imports, it is evident that our imports of 1890 exceeded in quantity those of 1880 by something like 50 per cent., this being the difference between tho second and third columns in the above table..

Bat beyond this there are, as mentioned in our earlier remarks, other factors which operated in measure in the same direction, that is to say, which diminished the volume of imports without implying a reduction in consumption. Firstly, there is a class of goods in which the local has in greater or lesser degree supplanted the imported article. We give the most notable examplos : — Imports. 18550. 1800. Bulk beer .. .. .. £10,120 .. £377 Jams and jellies .. I .. 38,85-1 .. 4,003 Confectionery 16,302 .. 8,404 Flour 85,133 .. til Maize 11.200 .. '25 Malt 4,97.'! .. 314 Wheat 14,482 .. 80 Hops ' 13,313 .. 2,384 Pickles .. 7,810 .. 3,903 con and hams .. .. IM2I .. 38 Butter and ulieeso ... ... 0,094 .. 35 £174,398 £20,023 There is no reason to suppose that we are nob consuming more largely of the majority of these articles than in 1880, but of our own produce. The following items again are directly or indirectly connected with public works. To a considerable extent such renewals as are required in this lino are being made in the colony. Imports. 1880. 1880. Locomotives .. „ „ £41,874 .. — Railway carriages .. .. 18,570 .. — Trucks .. '.. 26,578 .. Other railway plant .. .. 44,850 ... £12,131 Timber, all aorta .. „ 71,032 .. u-,/,759 £185,860 £JUB9O There is yet another class, the figures of which tend in the same direction. We refer to the Island produce, which is simply landed in New Zealand for transhipment 1 into outward-bound vessels. We find that during the currency of the " primage duty," such goods were allowed to be landed on a : transhipment entry, to avoid this duty, and , were not reckoned in our imports, though, I by tho way, they appeared among our ex-

porta. The principal items in this category were as follow Imports. ISBO. ' ISflo. Oopra .. „ i. £25,005 ~ _ £1,821 G-tton .. .. ... 8.533;' > .. , 700 Pearl sheila „ _ 4,533" — 1,903 £41,076 £3,6-29 The total of these three classes (though we do not profess to have, in either case, exhausted the list) represents £401,934 in 1880, but only £75,742 in 1890, a difference of £326,192, which does not argue any decrease of consumption or of purchasing power. Returning to our first table, it will be seen . that in about a • fourth of the lines an actual decrease is shown in 1890. These may be divided into four classes : one in which the falling off is, a mere accident, such as cornsacks and woolpacks, for the area under grain and the clip of wool were considerably larger in 1890 than in 18S0; the second in which the falling-o0 is probably attributable to the increase of the local production, such as beer, candles, coal, cordage, fish, jams, paper bags, vinegar; and the third, such as cement, bar iron, and timber, where the decrease may be connected with the diminution of public works. The falling-off in spirits (especially in brandy) constitutes the fourth class in which there is a real decrease in the consumption, but one not to be regretted. In conclusion, we would point out that the increase in population from the census of ISSI to that of 1890, is under 28 per cent., the figures being 489,933 and 626,830 respectively, exclusive of Maoris. •. ■■■ v We think thatthe facte which we have adduced will be a surprise to those pessimists who delight in drawing gloomy pictures of the condition of the masses in New Zealand. We have rejoiced in the remarkable expansion of our products, which has enabled us to provide amply for all the outside liabilities of the colony, after pay- • ing for our imports. Our figures now show that through the reduced cost of the bulk of our requirements, we have at the same time been enabled to increase our imports at a rate far in excess of . the increase of our population.

Declared values of:., . , I imports of the \* l ™ rt * f undermentioned Imports. « 'cornS ; at valuai tions of 1SS0. 1800. 1SS0. <J ' I ~~ Acid— £ £ | £ Acetic „ .. 491 1,938 3,047 Tartaric .. .. 8,9i5 6,035; 7,875 Baas— i Cornsacks .. .. 113,912 CQ.S'XJ! 75,150 W olpack* .. .. 35.87*1 10.3SI 31.C60 Beer, bottled .. .. 83.32S ! 53.787 U5,35; Boots and Shoes .. 97,763! 127,371 174,556 Candles 57,222] 29.002 39,005 Cement SO, 12' 33,634 44.070 Coal 163,650- 102,168! 152,555 Coffee, raw .. .. 18,08'j 18,2511 17,492 Conine, rope.. .. 9,074 6,974 0,430 Ki-h, potted and pre- i . .served .. .. 33,60S 21,313 30,603 Dried fruits— ! Currants .. ,. 21,225; 20,171 30,208 Raisins .. .. 15.734 . 18.938! 21,010 Uneiiumerated .. i>,586 8,4 40; 10,170 Kite 39.095 21,150 43,124 Pianos .. .. t .. 22,570 23,720 38,722 Iron— ' i I Bar, Rod. and Bolt 53,828 30,008-: 39,On Bolt-4 and Nuts .. 4,230, 5,775* 0,260 (is.lv. Corrugated .. S9.282 78,53!)' 91,800 Ualv. Plain Sheet . 7,'.97 12,156; 14,770 Hoop 4,427 14,192 13,160 Pig 11,096 1C.72&! 10,843 Plates .. .. 2,018 7,206! ' 8,00/ Sheets .. .. 3,9 fli 6,tic0; 13,334 1' inks .. .. 12,010; 8,90S. 10,155 Wire Fencing .. 39,534 CO,086 78,405 J iuik and Jellies .. 33,854 4,006 • 6,140 Jj ather .. .. 57, 96 03,791 63,532 K»nedu»t .. .. 23,204 20,2-9! 27,104 Nails ... .. .. 19,024 27,408 39,957 OilsCastor, bulk . „. 8.142 9.33S 11,826 Kerosene .. .. 23,510 51,405 05,353 Linseed .. .. 15,201 14.211 17,806 Paints and Colours .. 27,777 l5,'J39 31,873 Panel— Bags .. ' .. .. . 9,571 4.705 3.725 I'rint ins .. .. C5,u:;0 68,W2; 172,000 Wrapping .. .. 8,866 8,401 11,302 Salt .. .. .. 15,48") ' 20,414! 22,573 Sauces .. .. .. lO.Oihll 7,J42; 10,050 Seed, grass .. .. 47,785! 77,J27 135,460 .Spirits — "I, lirandv «. 109,574; 4S,S'!7 50,257 Geneva .. .. 18,080; 13,741 17,402 (iiu .. .. .. 4,{53u 2,131 2,196 Ruin 10,151', 5,750 5,252 Whisky .. .. 61,901 67,728: 61,981 Starch 7.S2U 9,181! 11,009 Suirar— ; I Raw J. 559 100,595' 424.220 Refined .. .. 655,175 212.5M»j 309,733 Tea .. .. .. 250,785 154,0571 201,018 Timber, Sawn, tin- I ! dressed - .. .. 20,330 17,000 20,895 TobaccoManufactured .. 55,223 CO, 192 05 913 Cigars .. .. 14,391 ll,m 21,730 Cigarettes .. .. 4.388: 17,785 21,333 Varnish 8,1321 32,400 11,212 Vinegar .. .. 9,910 6,364 7,158 Wine— European .. .. 34,475 20,033 30,420 .S parkins .. .. 30,490 9,741 9,721 Australian .. .. 7,134 14,003 13,145 Total .. .. £2,645, £2,116,164 £3,113,